Women travelling to Egypt safely

Comments

Hi shady, I value your input i know some about muslims and their ways. Mine does want to marry me but doesn't realy matter to him where we live. He loves egypt and i love the united states which if marriage was to take place then it i feel sooner or later would become an conflict between us , then maybe not i dont know. I know he does not seem to be using me to get in the states ive known him for a year now .

And if he wanted to get in the states he could of many many times by other women or friends and i firmley believe he is a lawyer in cairo, he can have many things done.
I just dont like the idea of getting married as soon as i get there at the airport where he will be waiting for me becoz of his beliefs he insists he will not have any relationship with me unless we are married I dont know i guess i will find out soon.

I love my Egyptian man with all my heart and could spend the rest of my life by his side always and be proud anywhere i go with him and we want kids together also. We love eachother nothing anyone else could say to me would not stop my heart from loving him and nothing could stop him from loving me. That would be something for me and him to decide its our life.

however what you said is true about nothing happening unless you gus are married, and to get married you will have to covert to Islam, so if this what you are ready to do, then go ahead, if you think it's a dead end, the right thing to do is end it b4 it really starts.

Egyptian man , why do you say men are liars when you are a man or are you a gentelmen and dont want to see maybe women hurt. Im a very good woman ,i work hard take care of my home put myself through college and have an associates degree in law enforcement and im single im also not a young girl ive been married before. Ad very badly abused by my american husband and almost died many times by his hand. Im now divorced from him looking to have a life with a man that will treat me like a woman instead of a punchin bag.

I dont suppose i should have posted this kind of personal info on here but i did.

I have a friend who initially met her current husband online. He is Egyptian, we are American. She flew to see him several times before they were married. They never had any "relations" before marriage as was with his Muslim religion. However, she still has never converted to Muslim and has no intentions of doing so. They have been living here in the US for 3 years now. She is a typical outspoken American woman. He doesn't control her, or act jealous. If anything, he treats her like a princess. She says "she is living the fairy tale". I have been talking to a friend of theirs who still lives in Egypt and he has treated me with nothing but respect and adoration. We have discussed the possibility of marriage in the future, but have agreed that I will always be a Christian, and will not always do as I am told, and will never cover my head or face. He does not have a problem with that. I think each person is an individual. I have friends here from Muslim countries. Some are jealous, protective, and controlling, and some are quite the opposite. You have to go with your instinct, but don't let sweet talk override your common sense. And absolutely, under no circumstances should you get married in the airport. Something is strange there. And I most certainly would not sign anything written in Arabic. Atleast not without having an American attorney translate and interpret it first. If your guy loves you, he will understand, and there will be no rush to do anything such as get married, or sign something immediately upon your arrival. It took my friend 1 1/2 years just to process the paperwork to get her husband her from Egypt. Something is wrong with the airport guy.

I think Sage77 here just put a guide line :) and I agree with every part, I am an Egyptian guy and what I hate is when a few uneducated selfish few just ruin it for all, and then Egyptians get a bad reputation.

Egypt's constitution is mostly reflected upon with Islam, therefore there is no way a Christian lady could marry a Muslim guy (and vice versa) with out the christian party converting, unless they leave the country and get the paper work done else where.

so I really hope those guys are true, and really i would like everthing to go well, Egyptians are very very kind people, loving and for Egyptians, family is one of the most important things.

just keep us posted :) and like sage said, no signing NADA!! :) and an American attorny is a brilliant idea ;)

Shady...if you truly were Egyptian, then you would no that what you are saying is VERY incorrect...a muslim man can marry a non muslim woman without her having to convert...forum members, the proof is out there, just google it! I know this for a fact, as does every single person who has lived on this side of the world for a while or a person who has some knowledge of Islam would know (not to mention that I know muslim men personally are married to non muslim women who have not converted). So please do not mislead or speak of issues that you are unsure of.

THANK YOU MBT< you are correct... no converting.. thanks for shinning the light on this subject.. people should know their facts before posting becoz MBT is correct you do not have to convert...THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

guest and mbt, if you don't live in egypt then you don't know, marrige happenes in egypt either by a muslim elder or a priest marrige to different religions does not happen, I am Egyptian, and Shady you are right.

Okay folks, just to put an end to the bickering (I feel like I'm on a yahoo forum) - I don't know about the laws of marrying in Egypt, BUT, for example, in the USA, you can bring your man to the US on a fiance' visa (which is the best route to go according to an attorney I have spoken to), then you have 90 days to get married once he is here. My friend did this with her husband. All of the proceedings took about 1 year from initial application until he was here. Granted, this was WITH the assistance of an American attorney who specializes in immigration law. After her husband was here, it took about 4 months for the remaining paperwork to be processed so he could work here. She is Christian, he is Muslim. She has not, and will not, ever convert from Christianity. Therefore, while it MAY be a law in Egypt that you can not have inter-faith marriages, there is no reason why you can not go back to your home country and get married.

Wozza - From what I understand of my friends from Egypt, Sharm El Shiekh is the tourist area of Egypt. Therefore, I would think it more acceptable there, than anywhere else. However, if you are travelling alone, or not with a man I would be wary of showing off too much. Keep in mind that the majority of the women there still cover themselves from wrist to ankle. When my friend went to Egypt recently, she wore jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt. She did not have any problems but was always accompanied by 2 Egyptian men. I would look at it this way, wearing shorts and sleeveless tops in Egypt similar to walking around a city in the US with a bikini top on and a mini skirt. If the men are not used to seeing this sort of thing, they WILL eye you up, and the women will be less likable towards you. You may end up with unwanted attention. Also, on the beach, I would suggest wearing a cover up while walking around. That's just my humble opinion. I think we should be respectful of other people's cultures when travelling to their countries.

I am a Canadian woman , married to an Egyptian Man now for almost 3 years...A Muslim man can marry a non Muslim woman BUT a Muslim woman can not marry a non Muslim man..The non Muslim man must convert to Muslim before he can marry a Muslim woman..I met my husband online 6 years ago and I went to Egypt and married my Husband almost 3 years ago...If you honor their culture you would not walk around in a bikini or a mini skirt and you will have to cover to enter mosquesThere are some guys that will still give you the look and the whistles even if you are holding your Egyptian Husbands arm so yes there are men that will give you a hard time but there are also a lot of gentlemen there too..I will be coming to Egypt June 11th to be with my husband again ..I was wondering can I get my entry visa at the Cairo airport ? I will not have time to send it away here in Canada and have it back in time to travel...I heard that I can get my Passport stamped at the arrival in the Cairo airport..Thank You ,Married to an Egyptian

I am an egyptian born and raised in the United States, but i go back to egypt every year for my family.. I can really tell you what its like there from both perspectives. Girls dont worry out there.. youll be fine.some tips--give firm answers to guys on the streets, dont even look at anyone making comments-dress normally, as in a t-shirt and jeans. I would stay away from like tank tops and shorts but its not terribly bad if you want to.-be careful who you trust, and ask why this person would be helping you, is it for money? something else? A lot people will like hand you pictures or wipe your car- thats for money, tell them no if your not interested (remember firm answers!)-traveling with people is always better in terms of safety (and fun!) Try to find other foreigners there if your going alone. Dont e afraid of the egyptians, they are truly kind people and will always offer a hand. just e careful of whose offering a hand and who wants something in return.- I am christian, ut my favorite time in Egypt is during Ramadan. It whole different experience, and I recommend it over the regular season. (plus there is less traffic during the day allowing you to visit more destinations during your time).- There are a lot of places to visit- the pyramids, alexandria, sharm el sheikh, luxar/aswan, cairo.... ut i have found that Ive had the est times in more of the &quot;poor&quot; places, people are kinder, you get a more feel of the egyptian life- try places like old cairo- many historic sites (following the footsteps of Christ- trulyyyy amazing), marsa matrouh, wadi el natroun monasteries, khan el khalily...-You must have &quot;fool wi ta'maya&quot; &quot;konafa&quot; and &quot;aseer asab&quot;! (foods-dessert and sugar cane juice) Your egypt trip will not e the same without these - take every opportunity you get to go out there and have a good time... dont let anything stop you, Egypt is really beautiful and worth every little bump in the road Have fun.. and say hi to egypt for me.. i really miss it there...

I am a UK national currently in Egypt, and have been in and out three times this year. Assuming the rules for Canadians are the same as those for UK/US, which I'm 99% sure they are, you can purchase a 30 day visa on arrival at Cairo airport for $15.00 (USD) any time of the day or night.

AM NOT AN EGYPTIAN BUT A FOREIGNER HERE I HAVE BEEN IN CAIRO FOR ONE YEAR REALLY, I HAVE GONE TO SHALM, HURGAHDA AND I HAVE VISITED MANY PLACES IN EGYPT AS WELL. AS FAR AS AM CONCERN... NOT ALL OF THEM ARE NICE BUT SOME ARE STILL GOOD... TALKING ABOUT MARRIAGE THERE IS NO EGYPTIAN MAN THAT WILL NOT HAVE WIFE IN EGYPT DESPITE MARRIED TO FOREIGNER. THE RELIGION ALLOWS TO MARRIED MORE THAN ONE WIFE... SO BEING MARRIED TO A FOREIGNER WILL STILL HAVE WIFE IN THE COUNTRY AND MY DEAR WOMEN HE WILL DIVORCED YOU SOON AFTER MAKING USED OF YOU. I HAVE HAD MANY WOMEN IN WESTERN WORLD COMPLAINING THIS AND I KNEW A WOMAN IN GERMANY THAT THE ARAB EGYTIAN MAN LEFT AND RAN BACK TO EGYPT AFTER USING THE WOMAN FOR EU PASSPORTS AND OTHER THINGS... SO BE CAREFUL!!!

Hello everyone........ I was in Egypt in March of 2009 and this was my first trip out of the country..... I am female and was scared to death......and you cant believe all.... because there is good and bad in every country.....I spent 15 days there and I was met at the airport by my online friend whom I had talked to for a very long time. He went out of his way to make sure I was safe and that I had a good time while there. We traveled all over Cairo, and then to Alexandria, Colony Swiss, Hurghada and several other places.....I never once felt threatened.. I was not in a resort nor did I go on any tours....I seen parts of the country and cities that most tourist would not see. and never once did I feel threatened. far from that.. I felt so sorry for my friend because everywhere we went to ..he was stopped and ask for his ID... that it got to a point that we was spending so much time standing waiting for them to look at his papers .. it was really annoying. But he said it was for my safety..... because of me being an American...... Egypt does not want anything to happen to any Americans. On the day before my departure... my friends sister died... he still tried to see after me and also do his duty to family. He told me I arrived in Safety so I would leave in safety..... so he was with me when I left the airport. I cannot say enough about the citizens of Egypt.... everyone was gracious. and respectful.. I never had a bit of trouble..... and I am going back here within the next month and am going to visit my friend again and see the sights that I didnt get to see the first time.......it was a wonderful experience for my first trip out of the USA...and I would go there in a heartbeat and not be afraid..

I'm still really confused as to what I'm supposed to be wearing in the streets and in the hotel grounds when I'm in Egypt!I'm staying in a 5* Hotel in Luxor mid July for a week, and I know I definately wouldn't be able to walk around in jeans in that heat. I'm still very young, and most my holiday clothes I own are tank tops and shorts, with a few mid-length skirts. I'm going with my fiance who does look very intimidating so I'm hoping I won't have too much trouble! But I need to know - are shorts and strappy/tank tops allowed when visiting the towns, etc? There seems to be mixed opinions on here. I will definately be covering up in religious buildings though, I am not that disrespectful.Also, I always carry shoulder bags and I'm really worried about theives in the market areas. Are there a lot of theives in Luxor?One last question - will we definately be able to get Visas when we get to the airport? Thanks.

El - my answer to your questions: its going to be hot so jeans will be uncomfortable ... but wearing what you propose will also make you uncomfortable when you get looks or cat-calls. A good plan is to wear a loose, light cotton dress that will keep you cool and covered. Re shoulder bags - just keep your valuable stuff in the hotel safe and make sure the bag is zipped up and worn across your body. Luxor is NOT filled with thieves, but there probably will be the odd pickpocket. Finally, Yes, you can defiantely get the visa on arrival at the airport.

hi all hope someone can help me i have a boyfriend in egypt we both want to marry i met him online we talk everynight,anyway im woundering can anybody out there help me or give me advise,im a little unsure of what documents we need to be married in egypt do i need to go to my irish embassy here in ireland or the egyptian embassy,im flying over for a holiday in july for a week but he wants me to stay for a month til paperwork finishes and im a bit sceptic i would appreacate some advice thanks irish eyes bye

hello - since you are from Ireland, my information may be a little off for your situation. But I can tell you that in the US, the best way is to apply for a fiance visa. Bring him to the states and THEN marry him. If you marry in Egypt, you are subject to the Egyptian marriage laws, which are not the best for women. At the very least, they are not as "equal" for men and women as they are here in the USA. What paperwork do you need to do in Egypt? You should not sign ANYTHING while you are there except for your visa when you arrive at the airport. Please get an attorney and at the ver least get a good consultation from an IMMIGRATION attorney. Not all attorneys practice immigration law. But I can promise you, the attorney fees will be well worth the avoided hassle and headaches. You should register with your embassy with your itinerary in case something should happen to you. In the US we can register online. You should provide dates and addresses of where you will be staying, etc. This is also helpful if something should happen back home and someone should need to reach you. I would make a photocopy of both your ID AND your passport. Keep them in a separate place in case you should loose your passport, etc. You can take the copies to the embassy and this will help you get back home and replace your passport etc. Also, you should consider a pre-nuptual agreement. Speak with an attorney about this. You will need to decide what happens with any future children in case of a divorce, etc. Just cover all of your bases. But do NOT sign anything while you are in Egypt. I know that if I married a man in Egypt, it would actually take longer for me to bring him to the US than it would if I brought him to the US FIRST on a fiance' visa. Get competent legal advice, and don't rush.

I am a Canadian I'm planning on going to Egypt around Nov.'09 to meet a very good friend I met online, but not sure about travelling to Egypt alone for the first time. I was wondering if there is someone out there who is also planning on going to Egypt maybe around the same time and interest to have a travel company (woman/women please).thank you very much and I find this site very useful.

Hi KA, Egypt is very moderate to travel from Oct till April.
Wear layers that can be taken off during the heat of the day and put back on for cool evenings.
Bring comfortable shoes. You will be doing SOME walking and temple floors are far from even.

Hi My name is Kate and i am planning to go to see a wonderful egyptian man i have also fallen for online, i have checked everything i can about him, im very excited and i am from new zealand and am very wary but i love him so much can anyone make suggestions on what may be red flags that im may be being led astray

Thanksplease anyone whos been in my situation and has advice for me feel free to email me on Flipsid3@msn.com

Hi, I am British and have booked a holiday to Sharm for two weeks in August - its a 21st present for my daughter who wants to scuba dive - I was told the Red Sea was the best place to do it! I have read through the letters on the forum and feel quite concerned as I will be alone for the days that my daughter is doing the scuba diving course. I am 58 (but am taken for about 10 years younger) and have travelled quite extensively, but am slightly concerned about being hassled constantly as I hate that. Also will I be safe to sunbathe alone at the hotel whilst my daughter goes scuba diving? I have also been advised to take British pounds and convert my money once in Egypt - would you recommend that and is it safe to leave money in hotel safes?Thanks, Sue

I'm Amy, 25, fresh out of med school, married to an Egyptian lawyer, 2 years older than me. We're both Muslims, so religion was not an issue for us, however since I'm European, all the missing and the traveling and the bad quality phones were a huge ''love tax''. We live at my place till i get my degree this autumn, and the future is still something we openly discuss about. My parents were not so thrilled about my idea to marry him, exactly because of all the bad things you always hear about Arab culture, Arab men, their many wives and everything else. His parents also not happy about the marriage about all they heard about western women, outspoken, open minded, not so obedient, not willing to cover up or change their dress code or have the same respect towards the family idea..

Let's get to the point:

*Marriage to an Egyptian citizen:---------------------------------------Before we got married, my parents insisted that we get married in Europe, so in case something goes wrong i could divorce by the laws of my country. I explained this to him, and he said ok, and so we did, but he also made me read all the laws concerning the marriage to an Egyptian citizen, and it was clear that in the event of a divorce Egypt doesn't care less where you got married, if one of the spouses is Egyptian, then the Islamic, Egyptian law applies. I read the entire laws in English and we discussed extensively on them because he wanted me to know such things before we get married and not discover them later and feel deceived.

* About him not being already married:----------------------------------------------When we got married, among the million papers that we needed, he was required to get to the Egyptian Embassy here a paper concerning his civil status - single, married, divorced, widowed.. since here more wives are not allowed, so with the approval he got at the embassy we went to the marriage office and still, when they were checking our files, they called in front of us the embassy to confirm. And also if a man is married and to whom is stated on the plastic Egyptian ID card that every body has.

Dress code in Egypt:------------------------Please be decent and have common sense. It's a Muslim country, accept the idea that you must be more conservative if you don't want to be stared at. If you want to show off, visit Holland, or someplace like that. As for the heat concern, I'm sure that if you want to find a solution, you will. Like said previously, you'll get baked in jeans, so go for a longer dress and if possible with some degree of sleeves, not spaghetti straps! They basically live out of tourism, so they'll tolerate you, no matter what you wear, but is it really that hard to make a compromise?

Money issues:----------------If possible go with US dollars. First time I went there I asked my now husband what he would advise, since here we deal with Euros, but I could also make a trip to the bank and have Egyptian pounds (EGP) on hand. He said US dollars. Best advice ever. Changing to EGP from your home is going to be a bad idea because of the poor rate you'll get at the bank and for Euros or British pounds... they don't care so much. Whenever we traveled, we always left money and valuables in our hotel room, and never had any issue, but then again we never allowed any room service unless we were there. We always left the do-not-disturb sign on the door..

jigsue - you will be ok sunbathing alone, especially since you will go to a touristic resort. And your daughter will be ok scuba diving also.

All in all, just take any common sense traveling precautions wherever you might go on this Earth, go with an open mind and an open heart and will return home with both of them filled with great memories.

Also another little tip: whenever I go to a foreign country I try to learn the words for ''Thank you'' (Shoo-kran) and ''Please'' (Lau-sah-moth). Even if you don't pronounce them correctly in Egypt it will still make the other person smile.

I don't know what more to tell you guys, but if you have questions, please feel free to leave a message and I'll try to help out.

One other thing: we also met online and were friends for a long time and I was very oblivious to the signals he was sending me as to get more romantically involved. I was used to more direct approaches and pick up lines that chivalry an courtship. But eventually I got it.

Before I first went to Egypt I left my family all the possible and impossible information about him, like his phone number, his address, his parents' numbers, address, embassy address and numbers, police, information... basically everything I could think of, and I left there with as many emergency information as possible since there had been some tourist incidents at that moment and my family was more than a little concerned. All in all, so far the Egyptian men I've known were gentleman and the women very polite and friendly. And most everybody speaks English in services and tourism. I'm learning Arabic now, but it's... not so easy, and I do speak 8 foreign languages... Still, English is your friend!

Visa:------You get it at the airport, costs 15 US dollars, have them ready.

Hi Asian, Egypt is so safe & its people are very welcoming, friendly & helpful. If you like to enjoy your time in Egypt, You should have an arranged trip through a trusted travel agent to make all reservations concerning accommodations, day tours, all transfers inside Egypt & all excursions you may need to make.
Best of Luck,
Antoinette

hI,My query is similar to the others.I am a 26 year old irish female and am going on holidays to cairo and luxor with 3 friends. however im on a later flight on my own and was wondering would i get much hassle being on my own in the airports? also the hotel will arrange a taxi to collect me at cairo airport and was wondering is it safe to be on my own in the taxi or should i get my friends to collect me. my other option is cancel my flight and book the same one as them.

I am a single asian female from California and have been to Egypt by myself years ago. I was lucky to have gotten a name from the Let's Go Egypt guidebook and I called Mohamed and he made all the arrangements for my 1 1/2 weeks in Egypt for under $1000 USD. I was treated like royalty in Egypt. Mohamed greeted me at the airport and took me to my hotel. All the hotels that I stayed at in Egypt were all very nice and clean...Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria. Mohamed made arrangements for private guided tours daily. He also accompanied me to the train station for my train travel from Cairo to Luxor. I had a private felucca sailboat for the Nile River excursion. I had a fabulous time in Egypt and not once did I feel unsafe. The Egyptian people are very hospitable, kind and gracious. Please do dress conservatively when in Egypt and do not disrespect their culture. Egypt was one of my most wonderful, memorable travel experiences.

Egypt was a disaster for me and my husband. I am Brazilian, he is Spanish - with very Arabic features apparently. I say that because many people approached us speaking to him in Arabic.

Anyway, we were in Cairo for 7 days and spent 4 in the hotel room because of the aggressive attention from the men - even with my husband standing right there with me! The first day, I wore a long sleeve button-down shirt and long skirt with sandals, but I got stares. The next day, I tried shirt, blazer, jeans and closed-toe shoes... same unwanted attention. I saw many young girls moving about without covering their hair, but I covered mine just to make sure not to offend.

My husband and I like to mingle with the locals when we travel - we don't like the watered-down Westernized versions of the local culture found on resort compounds - but we were unable to move around Cairo - my presence caused traffic to stop. Men walking on the streets actually stopped to stare at me/us! At one point, we stopped at a 'you are here' sign in the park and a crowd began to gather! We hailed a taxi and returned to the hotel with me in tears.

Even in the taxi cabs, I could see the drivers trying to make eye contact with me. Not in the 'I think you're pretty way' - more in a dirty way... very ugly and weird.

We spent the remainder of the trip in the hotel and going to the pyramids with a guide. So much for mingling... When we returned to Spain, we learned from an Iranian friend that my husbands features (Arabic) meant that we were quite a scandal in Cairo. It seems it is taboo for an 'Arabic' man to be with a black woman. I would love to visit Alexandria, but after that experience, I doubt I'd ever set foot in Egypt again... I just found Cairo so heartbreakingly disappointing - after 2 years I still get teary-eyed thinking about it....

I am an english woman married 25 yrs to middle eastern muslim man not egyptian we live in Cairo very friendly people anyone with any sense will wear clothing that is below the knee and covering shoulders its called respect if you want people to respect you and your culture then you must respect them and their cultureto all the ladies who have met their lovelies on the internet beware be careful i have heard a million of these romances most ending in heartbreak and it you are marryiing and having children look up the laws on what happens to the children when a marriage breaks you will ve VERY lucky if you are allowed to take them back to your country it happens all the time

I recently returned from a trip to Sharm Egypt visiting an English friend that has a business there. I am a single, English woman living in America. This trip was one of the most wonderful of my life. The Egyptian people in Sharm are mostly from Cairo, they leave their families behind to work as there isn't enough work back home. I found the people in Sharm friendly and warm, a little persistent at times but never scary or aggressive. I took a local bus to Cairo with one of my friends staff from the bar as I didn't want to leave Egypt without at least visiting the pyramids. We got the middle of the night bus to Cairo, only commuters/workers are on this bus and it's much cheaper than the ones you get from the hotels. We walked through the early morning streets of Cairo for part of the way and a small bus the rest of the way. No one stared or made me feel uncomfortable. The pyramids were awesome though there are a lot of locals trying to get your attention to sell you something, it just made me a little sad that they are so desperate for a few dollars. We traveled back through Cairo by taxi to the Museum, then a short Nile boat ride, then back to my companions Parents house for dinner in old Cairo via MetroRail, taxi and tuk tuk. His mother and father and sister treated me like a queen. We went for a walk in the old streets of Cairo and again, at no point did I feel threatened or scared. This is a most amazing country, as are it's people, if you treat people and your environment with respect, you wil reap the rewards. After reading this blog have thought about putting a trip together for single women that would like to travel together to Egypt. Let me know if you would be interested janetpbg@live.com

I'm just heading from Istanbul to Egypt for a month. No agenda other than to spend some time in the archives in Alexandria, where my mum grew up in the Benakis orphanage. On a bit of a mission to find my roots. Started in Australia, went to Greece, found myself in Turkey and heading to Egypt on Sunday. Been travelling through Greece and Turkey since August, mostly alone. I'm definitely middle aged - a granny, and I'm trying not to let your forum freak me out, but I've managed so far. It seems that every young man in Turkey has been in love with me, old enough to be their mother, and in Greece, no attention whatsoever other than rudeness and disrespect of a different nature. I like all the comments about respect. I've found that telling men to back off respectfully and tactfully is best. Only once have I had to put my hand up in someone's face and tell them to "go away". It worked a treat. My good friend Kerry, who takes tours to Egypt, tells me that women should avoid making eye contact or smiling at Egyptian men unless they have business with them. These basic western pleasantries can be considered to be come ons. So, I venture forth in trust and innocence as I have since I left Australia. I'm planning to have an amazing time and find out lots about my family. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd like to know. elizabeth@acr.net.au